Award details

Epithelial_Immunol - Crosstalk of epithelial lymphocytes and microbiota in influencing immunity and metabolism

Reference	BBS/E/B/0000S042
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Marc Veldhoen
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Babraham Institute
Department	Babraham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	89,680
Status	Current
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/11/2011
End date	31/10/2016
Duration	60 months

Abstract

This project aims to study the interactions between specialised cells of the immune system which are positioned in close proximity to the epithelial cells, and the micro-organisms in the intestinal lumen; the microbiota. The project will provide insights into how lymphocytes are able to maintain tolerance to beneficial bacteria while contributing to immune responses against undesirable ones. This will be achieved using genomic analysis techniques of assaying both the intestinal tissues, lymphocytes and the microbiota present in the intestinal lumen. It is expected that altered microbial compositions and intestinal barrier integrity will have a substantial influence on a wide range of immune responses. This will be addressed using intestinal infection models as well as tests for changes in susceptibility to auto-immune disorders and allergies. Importantly, since the microbiota make enormous contributions to metabolic processes, this proposal will take a highly integrative and multidisciplinary approach to studying the intestine, its immune system components, the epithelial cells and the microbiota, as a whole organ. This is of importance since many metabolic and immune response pathways are evolutionary conserved, whereby key units controlling metabolic and immune functions share ancestral structures. Genomic analysis will be combined with mass spectrometry analysis of metabolic products affected by altered immune responses and/or microbial composition. This allows the definition of networks of immune cells and mediators, bacterial species and metabolic changes, to characterise the nature of microbial diversity, the genomic features of its members, and the operating principles that underlie nutrient processing and storage for the host. The project will study the development and maintenance of skin lymphocytes under carefully managed conditions, and will investigate the consequences of altered environmental circumstances on the functioning of the epithelial barrier as well as the microbial composition.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Immunology, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

I accept the terms and conditions of use (opens in new window)

export PDF file

back to list new search